Morfa Dyffryn – July 2013

Back in July, the weather forecast looked good (and having visited before), we headed across from Manchester to one of the best naturist beaches in the UK. Barebeaches book provides the following info:

“The is Wales’ finest nude beach and one of Britain’s favourites. With an inspiring location in the Snowdonia National Park it attracts naturists from across the country and even visitors oversees. The golden expanse of sand shelves gently into the sea, providing perfect conditions for swimming: water quality is excellent. The extensive dunes behind the shore form part of a national nature reserve. Fine vistas across the bay to the Lleyn Peninsular and glimpses of distant mountain peaks inland”.

Sounds great doesn’t it? It is. Almost.

The beach is located north of Barmouth on the A496 (the coast road). Almost exactly four miles from central Barmouth you’ll come across the village of Tal-y-bont. Drive through Tal-y-bont and over a narrow bridge. Shortly after this bridge you’ll come across a road down to the beach on the left-hand side (signposted ‘Traeth Beach’ and Dyffryn Seaside Estate). Follow this road down to the first car park. Here there is a road to the right signposted Dyffryn Seaside Estate. Drive into the campsite and turn left at the small roundabout. Here we paid £2 to leave the car all day. There is a small shop where you can buy provisions.

To get to the naturist section, take the path at the top of the car park which takes you through a cut in the sand dunes. Once you get to the beach, turn right. It’s about a 10 minute walk to the naturist section and is marked by official notice posts (the large number of naturists will also inform you that you are there!).

Most beach-goers tend to congregate at the start of the naturist section and there was around 100 – 200 in total. We decided to continue walking along the beach were people were more spread out. This year we were more prepared for the wind that blows across this beach so set ourselves up with windbreak and parasol.

The beach is long and wide and when the tide is out you can walk a fair distance out in the shallow water or explore the small ‘heated’ pools along the beach. Here we sat and soaked up the sun whilst watching small hermit crabs in the shallow pools. All in all it is a lovely beach with a pleasant atmosphere – families playing in sea, beach-goers of all ages chatting, and people flying kites.

However, as mentioned in my previous blog there is also an atmosphere of lewd sexual behaviour (particularly with men congregating in the sand dunes). Although the day we were there, the activity actually happened on the beach. Right next to us.

A few hours after we arrived, a middle aged couple arrived and set up to our right – our wind break meant that we could see them until we wandered down to the sea. On coming back from a refreshing dip, I noticed that the man was quite clearly masturbating his partner whilst she say on her back. You would think they would stop having been caught so to speak but instead nonchalantly carried on! What is it with some people?! Can we not go to the beach and enjoy a few hours sunbathing naked without the need to witness this kind of behaviour? No wonder naturists get a bad name (and which led to the closure of Holkham Beach).

If anyone has been to Morfa before we’d love to hear from you! What was your experience?

Last week I spent my 2nd weeklong stay at Morfa this summer. The weather was great and the beach was very clean and tidy.During the whole of these two weeks I saw no evidence of any lewd behaviour.I did not enter the dunes area, as the signs specifically state that naturism is restricted to the beach area. Access can also be made by driving north from Barmouth ( or south from Harlech) to Lanbedra. Turn towards the sea in the centre of the village to Shell Island camping. You can get a day visitors pass if your not camping on the site for £5. The site has a cafeteria, bar and supermarket. Once on the beach, walk south for some 20 minutes.I would disagree with the timing of the walk north from Morfa estate. It takes about 40 minutes to walk North (unless your name is Hussein Bolt !!) I have done it many times.